FORM-Idea

America’s southern states seem to be constantly making international news headlines for all the wrong reasons. So, the return of the wonderful SXSW festival comes at just the right moment. The festival is a progressive event filled with interviews, film premieres, and, of course performances by some of the best musicians in the world.  Now with an Oscar winning film under its belt—the wonderful Everything, Everywhere, at Once, which premiered at last year’s festival—SXSW returns with a new swagger.

Some of the highlights of this year’s festival, based on what was available online are below:

Any interview between Joe Biden’s former press secretary, the perky and unflappable Jen Paski, and comedian, writer, and producer Chelsea Handler was bound to be worth a watch.   And, so it proved to be, with Handler particularly proving to be a hugely engaging interviewee with a no-nonsense perspective on events taking place in America today, she focused particularly on the country’s ongoing polarisation concerning women’s reproductive rights. Proudly unmarried and child-free, Handler states the obvious, which is that not all women are destined to be nor should they be pressured to be mothers.  She went on to state that it’s important that all women have the right to choose the course of their own lives. A message it seems so many politicians there need to hear.

Another session which stood out was one with folk legend Joan Baez, who was there to promote a new documentary about her life called “Joan Baez, I am Noise.” The film, directed by Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky, and Maeve O’Boyle, shines a light on Baez’s long and eventful career. Baez has throughout her life, been one of the country’s most politically engaged artists, and yet her personal life has remained well shrouded.  Baez states that the documentary does, to some extent, strip away this mystery. A process she has been preparing for a while now, particularly since the tour charted in the film will be her final one. Baez states in the interview that she felt it was time to look back at both her life and her career. She states she had no idea that her family had been documenting everything, which happened to her since her earliest performances and in turn had kept so much archive material, including home movies, audio recordings, and newspaper clippings.  Material, which dates back to the beginning of her career. The film establishes a serious, reflective tone as it looks at the process of aging and the passing of time. Along with reflecting on the effect of hidden trauma. The directors stress though that the film is not depressing but is in fact, a celebration of an extraordinary artist’s life.

Cecile Richards from Planned Parenthood, in her interview like Handler sounded the alarm as she discussed the repercussions of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. A legal ruling, which restricts women’s access to abortions.  Richards points out that now, given this decision, states which have either radically limited abortion or, in some cases, are committed to an outright banned, can use a woman’s browsing history, location, and text messages against her in court, if she is suspected of having had an abortion. Richards asks the question which is in such a draconian situation, is it not time for tech companies to step in and find ways to protect their users? A question many tech companies may now be asking themselves.

Another keynote speaker who was a highlight of the festival was chef and humanitarian José Andrés, who founded World Central Kitchen (WCK) with the simple belief that a plate of food is more than a meal—it is hope and comfort in times of crisis. His beautiful interview highlighted the fact that in a world post the pandemic we have, become increasingly separated from each other, so the simple process of sharing a meal together could in fact change people’s lives.

Off the back of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’s Oscar win, the festival’s film showcase was sure to garner even more attention this year than before, and for me, two films stood out.

The Brazilian “Dry Wall Cocoon” is a bleak portrait of a group of teenagers who are occupants of one of the country’s most exclusive residential complexes. A complex with so much visible security that it feels suffocating to its young inhabitants, and looks more like a prison than a home. Here we watch a beautiful teenage girl’s preparation for her birthday party, a party where for the first time in her life she is allowed to spend time on her own without her mother’s supervision. It’s a decision her mother would later bitterly regret since the party goes horribly wrong with tragic consequences for all the teenagers present. Dry Wall Cocoon shows the dark forces the parents are so desperately trying to protect their children from are not in fact external but are rather forces inside the teenagers themselves, since the constant scrutiny their parents have placed them under has in turn warped their lives.

The documentary “This World is Not My Own,” looks at the work of African American folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe and it is an utter delight. The film is a wonderful, inventive portrait of a self-taught folk artist who during her life, went from being a local curiosity to becoming one of the country’s most renown contemporary artists, with pieces now in international collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Washington’s Smithsonian. Her work in fact at the moment can also be seen at London’s Royal Academy of Art, in their current exhibition, Souls Grown Deep like the River.   

The film charts the fascinating story of how Rowe’s encounter with the daughter of a segregationist, gallery owner Judith Alexander, transforms her life.  Alexander would go on to act as Rowe’s agent and champion.  The documentary though highlights the fact that this partnership also helped to change Alexander’s life for the better as well, since it helped her to break free from the deeply traumatic relationship she had with her troubled father. Seeing Rowe’s art gave Alexander a strong sense of purpose since she would devote the rest of her life to introducing her friend’s work to the world.  A moving portrait of a great artist and an enduring, transformative friendship.

The Iranian short “It Turns Blue,” tells the story of an abusive father whose young daughter comes for a visit.  When his anger erupts, he leaves his sister to try to pick up the pieces. In light of current events in the country, the film now feels like a metaphor for those who remain silent in the face of unspeakable acts of violence.

The other short worth mentioning is “Beyond the Fringe,” a beautiful, inventive animated film that looks at a paper fragment that somehow finds itself slightly torn from its page. The film looks at the decision the fragment must make about whether or not to choose freedom. It is a beautiful allegorical tale.

The Timeless Souls are a wonderful group whose music is an effortless fusion of jazz and soul.

The wonderful Yogetsu Akasaka is a Zen Buddhist Monk born in Tokyo, Japan. He started his musical career in 2005, where he busked on the streets of London, Sydney, and NYC as a beatboxer. In recent years he has decided to pick up a mic and start making music again.  His haunting, beautiful music is like a Buddhist dreamscape come to life.

Another personal favourite would be the daughter of the legendary singer Bobby McFerrin, Madison. It can be a tall order to follow in the footsteps of such an illustrious singer, but she does it with aplomb, and has carved her very own course. A fabulous artist who is definitely worth a listen.

All in all, this year’s SXSW festival was a triumph and a welcome alternative portrait of the American south. Possibly reminding us of the fact that there isn’t just one American south, but several, all trying to find a way to coexist; whether this is possible or not is anyone’s guess. But I know which one I prefer.